Shift Your Perspective and Gain Confidence

Assess what you've got. Make a list of six qualities you like about yourself—half should be physical features—then rank them by what you deem the most appealing. Carry the list in your purse to remind yourself that you offer a full package of inner and outer beauty. Play up your favorite physical feature.

Add twinkle. Choose a sparkly shadow or highlighting cream. (Beige or bronze is more authentic than stark white or silver.)

But keep it subtle. Dab shimmer in the inner corner of eyes and center of lids; gently blend. "It creates brightness—like after a good night's sleep," says Landy Dean, makeup artist at the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City.

Shift Your Perspective and Gain Confidence

Rewrite your internal dialogue. Listen to how the voice in your head comments on your looks. Remind you of the middle school mean girl? You may be internalizing attitudes and ideals from other people or being too hard on yourself, says Vivian Diller, Ph.D., and Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D., coauthors of Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change (Hay House). Vow to talk to yourself with the same encouraging, kind words and tone you'd use for a close friend.

Shift Your Perspective and Gain Confidence

Pause for a reality check. If you were an airbrushed version of yourself, would it really land you your dream guy? "Realizing you harbor illogical assumptions can help you move on," Muir-Sukenick says. Let traits you love be the core of your new beauty identity.

Create depth and richness. A range of light and dark strands adds dimension within the style and shape of your cut. Light bounces off the varying tones more than it does with flat color or even single-shade streaks, producing a sparkling effect, says Alex Ioannou, owner of Trio Salon-Chicago. The darker strands also make the paler pieces appear more radiant.

Take Control of Your Outlook

Use positive affirmations. Giving yourself a pep talk every a.m. can help keep a bad-hair day or other setback from dampening your mood. Mix it up: Some days, focus on looks ("My skin is glowing today!"); other days, on inner qualities ("I always tell the truth."). Fix, but don't fixate on, minor mishaps.

Take Control of Your Outlook

Own your attitude. You, not that judgmental Judy in the next cube, are the sole author of your thoughts. "Make the mental choice not to let worries or bad thoughts run wild," Muir-Sukenick says. Visualize what you want—to enjoy a party or exude confidence—then make it happen.

TIP: Nix dark circles

Brighten shadows. If you have fair skin, use a pink-toned correcting concealer; for medium to dark skin, go for one that has more peach (try Laura Mercier Under Eye Perfecter, $22). These shades neutralize blue in skin.

Get even. Finish with a skin-matching concealer, so the previous step will be totally undetectable.

Take Control of Your Outlook

Never obsess. "The most critical eyes are often our own," Diller says. Your bud's bed-head, for example, doesn't change how you feel about her. Putting yourself in others' Manolos can keep things in perspective. Your goal: Deal with the frizz (or whatever) the best you can (nothing a little silicone can't solve), then forget about it. Everyone else already has.

TIP: Revive flat hair

Dry it 100 percent. Moisture acts as a humidifier, making any style limp and lifeless, says Nicholas Penna, owner of SalonCapri in Newton, Massachusetts.

Add some shine. Mix a drop of light-reflecting serum (try one with oil and dimethicone, such as Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray, $24) with your volumizing product.

Maintain Your Self-esteem

Gauge your emotional temperature. "When you're feeling especially beautiful, think about what has contributed to it," Muir-Sukenick says. Take the time to identify what is influencing your state of mind (maybe you started a new workout or got a great haircut) so you can keep it up and draw on it if you seem to be slipping.

TIP: Define your eyes

Choose a palette with at least three shades. (We like Lancôme Color Design Eye Shadow Quad in Glamour Era, $42.) Sweep the lightest shade over the whole lid, up to and in the crease. Brush the medium hue on top, then diffuse color up to right below the crease. Wet an eyeliner brush and apply the darkest shade along your lash line, followed by two coats of black mascara.

Maintain Your Self-esteem

Enjoy your beauty. Some women downplay their looks because they think that focusing on makeup and hair is shallow. If that's you, treat yourself to the occasional facial or pedicure. Although you already know that beauty starts from the inside, you might be surprised to learn that lavishing a little attention on the outside can reinforce self-esteem.

TIP: Shine bright

Wear a vibrant shade. Lipstick is a commitment-free way to reinvent your look. Use your current favorite as a starting point and stay in the same family, but go brighter. If you wear pink, opt for fuchsia. Used to blackberry shades? Switch to vivid plum. To keep the effect wearable, dot color on your bottom lip, blot lips together, then use your finger to blend.

Maintain Your Self-esteem

Change it up. Maybe you can always count on a clear complexion, but dare to explore other aspects of your looks, too. Experiment: Go wavy instead of pin-straight, or swap your usual pale gloss for a deep rose.

TIP: Play with texture

Got curls? Then go straight. The pro secret for a perfect blowout: Tackle smaller sections. Apply smoothing lotion to damp hair, grab 2-inch sections and dry each a few times with a round brush and blow-dryer, Penna suggests. Naturally smooth? Create soft curls: Wrap hair around a 1-inch barrel curling iron, starting at the middle of strands; gently unravel and finger-comb.